Marcin Budkowski

Lore & Background

Budkowski graduated from École Polytechnique, Paris, in 1999 and continued his studies between 1999 and 2001 at the Institut supérieur de l'aéronautique et de l'espace (ISAE SUPAERO) and Imperial College London, specialising in aeronautics and aerodynamics. After completing his studies, he started his career in motorsport in 2001 as an aerodynamicist for Prost. He subsequently moved to Maranello, working for Ferrari from 2001. Seeking a new challenge, he then joined McLaren in 2007, working in a variety of aerodynamic roles both at the factory and trackside, notably during the 2008 title winning year, before becoming head of aerodynamics in 2012. His seven years at McLaren ended in 2014, after which he became Formula 1's technical and sporting coordinator for the FIA, subsequently becoming head of the Formula One technical department in 2017. He then joined Renault F1 Team as executive technical director, where he remained as the team transitioned into the Alpine F1 Team. In this role he oversaw the day-to-day running and operation of the team, worked closely with senior management and directors to ensure that the team met its objectives, he also worked with HR and finance to manage budgets and recruitment. In January 2021 he was made a director of Alpine F1 Team, a position he left in January 2022.

In Their Own Story

The rain lashed against the pit wall at Spa-Francorchamps, blurring the lights of the circuit. Marcin leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the live telemetry scrolling across the monitor. 'Box, box,' he said calmly into the headset, a command that would cost them seconds but save the tires for a final sprint. The tension in the garage was palpable; one wrong call here could mean the difference between points and a DNF. As Ocon's car slid into the pit lane, Budkowski didn't cheer yet—he watched the data, waiting for the confirmation of a successful stop before allowing himself to exhale.

Reader's Guide

Marcin Budkowski's career path: Prost (2001) → Ferrari (2002–2007) → McLaren (2007–2014) → FIA (2014–2017) → Renault/Alpine (2017–2022) → Viaplay (2023–2026) → Cadillac (2026–present). He served as executive director of Alpine F1 Team, not sporting director. He never worked for Red Bull Racing or Jaguar Racing.

Did You Know?

• Budkowski started his F1 career as an aerodynamicist for Prost in 2001.
• He worked at Ferrari from 2001, a period of multiple championship wins.
• He was head of aerodynamics at McLaren from 2012.